Ornamental chain



July 7, 1925.

F. J. WAKEFIELD ORNAMENTAL CHAIN Filed Sept. 15, 1924 'Patented July 7, 1925.

UNITED STATES.

rRANcIs 1,544,619 PATENT] oFFIcE.

n. ORNAMENTAL CHAIN. Y

yApplication Viled September 15,1924. Serial N'o. 737,707.v4

To all wh0m-z't may concer/n:

Be itA known rthat I, FRANCIS J. WAKE- FInLD, a citizenfof the United-States, residingat Attleboro, in the county of Bristol land State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvementspin Ornamental Chains, -of which `the following is a specification. j

, My invention relates to chains employed for use in jewelry for personal'y adornment such as bracelets, armlets, girdles, necklaces,

and the like. Y

The primary purposes of -this invention are to enable the construction of thek article from stamped and bent up sheet metal blanks and without the use of solder; to render the unit connections invisible; to afford a great degree of flexibility, and to insure security of the ornaments. v

To the above enumerated ends essentially my invention consists in such parts andl in such combinations of parts as -fall within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification Figures 1 and 2 are a front and side elevation respectively of a portion of my chain,

Figure 3, a fragmentary section of the same on line 3 3 of Figure 1,

Figure 4, a transverse section on line 4 4 of Figure l, Y j

vFigures 5 and 6, sections on lines 5 5 and 6 6 respectively of Figures 3 and 4, y

Figures 7 and 8,|a front'and side elevation respectively of the ornament carrier, and

Figure 9, a detail viewV of a yoke. Similary reference characters similar parts throughout the views.

The chain comprises a series of connected units or links 12 of uniform construction.- Each unit consists of an oblong shell with an indicate open front. It is cut and bent up from thin i into a series of substantially conical cups 25 connected by webs 26.' These carriers have the, apices lofthe cup portions 25 resting upon the back wall, their ends in .contact with the lend walls 20and their lateral vedges in contact with or adjacent .the side walls 16v of the shell. Inassembling the par-ts of the carrier is ,slid into theshell lengthwise beforebending upone vend wall,- after which the latter is bentfrom the position shown -in broken linesin Figure 5. Prior to this l,insertion of the carrier ornaments 27, in this instance stones lorgems with conical back portions 28 and faceted faces 29, are placed in the cups 25, and their faces 29 enter the Shell longitudinally in the opening 30 in the front of each shell. After insertion of the carrier with its stones the flange portions 18 of the shell are if necessary downwardly pressed in contact with the margins of the faces of the ornaments.

Each unit is connected with its adjacent units by llat yokes or links 31 cut from thin sheet metal, and each comprises a vbody 32 and legs 33. The bodies 32 are longer than the combined thickness of two adjacent walls and extend loosely through the openings 22 of adjacent units. One leg 33of each yoke extends longitudinally into an adjacent unit, a side wall and preferably slightly spaced therefrom.' It is apparent that the yokes serve not only as connecting members for the units, but that they serve as pivot members to permit a degree of flexibility to the chain.

I claim 1. In an ornamental chain, a series of hollow units, each unit comprising a back wall, end walls, side walls provided with lateral openings, inturned flanges upon the front portions of the side walls, andornaments supported bythe back wall and engaged by the flanges, and a series of connecting yokes, each yoke comprising a body traversing the openings of adjacent walls, and legs in the adjacent units. Y

2. In an ornamental chain, a series of hollow units, each unit comprising a back wall, forwardly foldable end walls, forwardly bentA sidewalls provided with openings in theirends, retainingflanges inwardly bent from the forward margins of the side walls, and ornaments engaged by the retaining flanges, and yokes in the openings of adjacent lside walls engaged by adjacent end J. WAKEFIELD, on A'r'rLEnoRo, MASSACHUSETTS, AssIGNoR 'ro 'rHELnAcHl l. a MILLEn.' COMPANY, or A'r'rL-EBORO, MAssAcHUsET'rs, A FIRM.

walls, andv legs .extending within the adj a cent units.

3. In an ornamental chain, a series of hol-V low units, each unit comprising a back wall, A, end walls, side walls, retaining flangesv onY vthe side walls, a carrier plate having a plurality of gem-receiving cups'and :supported by the back wall, and ornaments supported by the carrier plate and engaged by theV flanges, and means Jfor interengaging the units, s Y

4. In an .ornamental chain, a series ofrhollow units, each unit comprising a back wall, end walls, sidewalls, retaining flanges on the sidewalls, a .carrier plate comprising cups engaging the inner face of the back wall and a web connecting the cups, and ornaments seated inthe cups and over lapped by the Hanges, andl means for flexibly intereng-aging'the' units. y

5. In an ornamental chain, a :series of hollow units, eachi unit 4comprising aback wall, forwardly Vdirected end wal-ls, 'for-V Wardly'directed side walls onl the back wall independent of the end walls provided with lateral end openings closed by the end walls andlocatedadjacent the back wall, inturned walls, ornaments in the unit overlapped by the flanges, and a series of connecting yoles, each yoke comprising a body loosely trav# ersing adjacent `openings of adjacent walls and of greater length than the combined thickness of the contiguous walls,and legs extending loosely in -theladjacent units.y

6. In an'or-namental chain, ga unit co-mf prising an oblong shell with anopen front and 'bent to lform aback wall, side walls with inwardly directed 'anges, and end walls, there being' openings at opposite ends of the side walls adjacent the back wall for the reception of yolizes for loosely yconnecting adjacentunits.v

flanges o-n lthe forwardA portions..A of the side vvIn testimony whereof yhave aiiixed my y signatnre, 

